Chapter 55: Escort Agency Visits the Mountain



Having said that, Pan Yunpeng showed a smug smile on his face, but soon the smile disappeared.

Because he knew very well how Shunfeng Escort Agency achieved its current status.

It's really boring to show off this in front of my friends in the Alliance...

After realizing what was happening, Pan Yunpeng felt a little embarrassed and immediately changed the subject: "Brother Fu, there is something I have always been curious about, but I just couldn't find a chance to ask. Now that we have left the city, can I know what exactly is this batch of goods you entrusted me to transport?"

As he spoke, Pan Yunpeng quickly added: "Of course, if you can't say it, then forget it."

Lin Zhongtian leaned back on the cushion and said with a smile: "There is nothing to hide. It's just the seeds in the seed bank of Shanglinyuan, some grown crops, medical books compiled by the Imperial Hospital, "Elements of Geometry" translated by Xu Guangqi, the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, and the "Complete Book of Agricultural Administration", "Sweet Potato Notes", "Miscellaneous Notes on Agricultural Relics" and so on that he just compiled in the first draft. "

“…”

Pan Yunpeng opened his eyes wide and was stunned.

Lin Zhongtian paused and said with emotion: "There are too many good things in the capital. I am only one person and I really can't take them all. When you can come to the capital openly in the future, I will definitely go there again!"

Pan Yunpeng recovered and chuckled, saying, "Brother Fu, you are joking. Now that we can come to the capital openly, it means that the entire capital is already in our pockets."

"Since it's already in my pocket, why bother doing this?"

"That's true."

Lin Zhongtian nodded.

Doctor Zhang, who had been listening quietly nearby, looked very excited at this moment. After holding it in for a while, he couldn't help it.

"Mr. Fu, you just said that the shipment contained medical books compiled by successive generations of the Imperial Hospital?"

"..." Lin Zhongtian and Pan Yunpeng looked at each other and said with a smile, "Is uncle interested?"

"That's the Imperial Hospital!"

Seeing that his thoughts were exposed by Lin Zhongtian, Doctor Zhang became calm instead, and said solemnly: "The Imperial Hospital has thirteen medical departments, and each department has a master of medical skills. To be honest, I have been practicing medicine for forty-three years and have had no less than ten teachers, but the guidance of the former director of the Imperial Hospital is the most beneficial to me."

"Now that I have the opportunity to read the works of these great masters of medicine, I will naturally be tempted."

Lin Zhongtian nodded and said with a smile, "Uncle, don't worry. When we get there, all these medical books will be under your care. I just hope that you can put aside your prejudice and teach medicine to students who are interested in this field in the future."

Doctor Zhang was slightly startled, and then he remembered what Zhao Lihe had said to him, and asked, "You want to open a medical school?"

Pan Yunpeng nodded: "I do have this plan, but I don't know if Uncle Zhang is willing to take it over."

Doctor Zhang looked solemn, straightened his robe, and said with a folded hand, "That is what I wish for, but I dare not ask for it."

In this era when all transportation depends on legs and horses, traveling long distances is a very hard and tiring thing.

The time required is often calculated in months, especially when there are more than a dozen carriages full of goods in the convoy and hundreds of escorts, the time will be extended several times.

Ordinary bandits naturally would not dare to touch such a large escort team lightly.

But even so, Pan Yunpeng, like his father, strictly followed the rules of escort when dealing with the outlaws.

Just like now, the escort team passed through a dense forest and immediately left the official road and entered it.

According to Pan Yunpeng, there is a secret shortcut in this forest, which is only known to the caravans and escort companies who often take this road.

Although the mountain road is relatively narrow and can only barely accommodate a carriage and two escorts, passing through here can save at least fifty miles of distance.

The only thing you need to pay attention to is the mountain next to it.

I heard that there is a village on this mountain, and there is a king in the village, named Hanshanhu. He is good at using a mace and claims to have three thousand sons. Any caravan passing by here will inevitably be blackmailed by him.

Lin Zhongtian asked curiously, "Does Han Shanhu really have 3,000 men under his command?"

Pan Yunpeng smiled and said, "Of course not. The last time I passed by here, Han Shanhu invited me to the mountain for a banquet, but I didn't agree. It was Uncle Liu who went up the mountain for the banquet on my behalf. While we were having a banquet, Uncle Liu took the opportunity to observe the size of the mountain village and estimated that there were only about 500 to 600 people, including the women, children, the elderly and the weak in the village. If we only count the middle-aged men, it would be good to have more than 200!"

"...are there still women, children, the elderly and the weak in the village?"

"Yes." Pan Yunpeng sighed, "I have already investigated it clearly. Three years ago, a dragon turned over here and a nearby village suffered a great disaster. It seemed that it was about to die. It was the Mountain Shaking Tiger who discovered this trade route. He then called on the elders and villagers to go up the mountain to become bandits and make a living by robbing and hunting."

As Pan Yunpeng said this, he quickly wrote a letter and handed it to the bodyguard beside him.

The escort took the letter, took the three brocade boxes, and went up the mountain with his two companions.

Lin Zhongtian looked curiously with his eyes and found that the first brocade box contained three ingots of white silver, the second brocade box contained two pieces of red silk, and the third brocade box contained a jar of clear and delicious wine.

The three gifts were not very heavy, but definitely not light either.

As if seeing Lin Zhongtian's curiosity, Pan Yunpeng explained with a smile: "Silver, silk and fine wine are the rules for visiting mountains and borrowing roads set by my Shunfeng Escort Agency and the other three major escort agencies in Beijing. Silver is the toll for borrowing roads. Accepting silver means that the other party is willing to give way. Silk is a gift for women and children in the village. Accepting silk means that the other party is willing to make friends with us."

"As for the fine wine, most bandits are unwilling to accept it, because accepting the fine wine represents a deeper friendship, and they need to send people to escort us all the way. If we get into trouble in their territory, they will have to help us."

"Of course, this kind of friendship and responsibility is mutual. If any friends from the mountain come to the capital in the future, they can visit my Shunfeng Escort Agency. If there is a need to buy something from the mountain, the escort team is also obliged to trade with the mountain stronghold. The price cannot be too high and must be based on the price of goods in the nearby county town..."

Pan Yunpeng explained clearly.

Lin Zhongtian listened with great interest.

At this moment, the three escorts who went up the mountain came back empty-handed, which meant that the other party had accepted all three gifts.

Lin Zhongtian looked past the three escorts and found that behind them were four burly men with flesh on their faces, and a young woman with a pretty face wearing a green dress, who did not look like a bandit at all.

When they arrived in front of the convoy, the four strong men and the young woman stopped.

The three escorts walked up to Pan Yunpeng, clasped their fists and said, "Captain, the village has accepted all the silver, silk, and wine. The mountain tiger has sent five people to follow us down the mountain, hoping to trade goods with the escort team."

Pan Yunpeng asked casually: "What do they want?"

The escort's face looked a little strange: "Food, cloth, farm tools... and books."

Pan Yunpeng was startled when he heard this, and looked at Lin Zhongtian beside him, and asked in surprise: "Book?"

The escort leaned over and lowered his voice, "It was the young woman who proposed it."

Pan Yunpeng glanced at the young woman calmly and asked, "Did you find anything?"

The escort nodded and whispered, "Her hands are rough and have fresh wounds, her wrists are delicate, and her neck is white and tender. She must have started doing rough work in the last few months. I guess she is most likely a woman from a wealthy family who was abducted to the mountain by a mountain tiger about half a year ago."

“…”

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhongtian looked at the escort in surprise, as if he had not expected that this rough man could have such a delicate mind.

Pan Yunpeng was used to such scenes. He nodded, said "I understand", and walked towards the young woman.


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